JPH11348433A - Method for sublimably thermal transfer recording and ink ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a smoothly gradable sublimable thermal transfer image without image unevenness to be generated depending upon a type of a photographic sheet or a model of a printer. SOLUTION: In the method for sublimably thermal transfer recording comprising the steps of superposing a dye receiving layer of a photographic sheet having the layer formed on a base material and an ink layer 2 containing a sublimable dye and of an ink ribbon having the layer 2 formed on the support 1, and heating the ribbon from the support 1 side to transfer the dye in the layer 2 to the receiving layer of the sheet, thereby forming a dye image; a surface of the receiving layer of the sheet is heat treated immediately before the receiving layer of the sheet and the layer 2 of the ribbon are superposed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a sublimation thermal transfer recording method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sublimation thermal transfer recording method capable of obtaining an image having a smooth gradation without print unevenness, and an ink ribbon used for the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a sublimation thermal transfer recording method capable of forming a full-color image having excellent gradation has been adopted as an image information output method for digital cameras, video cameras, personal computers, and the like.

In this sublimation thermal transfer recording method, a dye receiving layer of a photographic paper having a dye receiving layer formed on a substrate and an ink ribbon having an ink layer containing a sublimable dye formed on a support are used. The sublimation dye in the ink layer of the ink ribbon is transferred to the dye receiving layer of the printing paper by heating the ink layer with the thermal head from the support side of the ink ribbon and forming a dye image.

[0004]

By the way, in the sublimation thermal transfer printer used in the sublimation thermal transfer recording method, various transport systems are adopted for feeding the photographic paper. The occurrence of scratches due to friction and the occurrence of minute scratches due to contact with mechanical parts (e.g., rubber rollers) of the transport system of the printer cannot be completely avoided. For this reason, the surface state of the dye receiving layer of the printing paper changes, and good printing may not be obtained. Specifically, the image density may change at a contact portion between the printing papers or at a contact portion between the mechanical components of the transport system of the printer and the printing paper, and printing unevenness may occur.

Further, there are various types of photographic paper currently used for sublimation thermal transfer, and the surface properties (smoothness) of the photographic paper depend on the type of base material used and the resin constituting the dye receiving layer. , Roughness, etc.), and some of the printing papers have an excessively rough surface. Depending on the content and degree of surface property, the surface property may appear in the image as print unevenness, and such print unevenness is particularly remarkable in a low density region, and when the surface roughness is large, In some cases, smooth gradation cannot be obtained in a low density region.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide smooth gradation without causing image unevenness depending on the type of printing paper and the type of printer. It is an object to provide a sublimation thermal transfer recording method that can be realized.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present inventor has proposed that the surface of a dye-receiving layer of a photographic paper be subjected to thermal treatment immediately before the dye-receiving layer of the photographic paper and the ink layer of the ink ribbon are overlapped (immediately before image formation). The present inventors have found that the above object can be achieved by improving the surface properties by heat treatment with a head or the like, and have completed the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention provides a method for producing a photographic paper having a dye receiving layer formed on a substrate, and an ink ribbon comprising an ink layer having a sublimable dye formed on a support. A sublimation dye in the ink layer of the ink ribbon is transferred to the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper by heating the ink layer from the support side of the ink ribbon to form a dye image. Immediately before overlapping the dye receiving layer of the ink ribbon with the ink layer of the ink ribbon,
A sublimation thermal transfer recording method comprising heat-treating the surface of a dye receiving layer of photographic paper.

In performing the heat treatment of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper in this sublimation thermal transfer recording method, an ink ribbon provided with a heat treatment area on the same plane as the ink layer of the support of the ink ribbon is used. It is preferable to heat-treat the dye-receiving layer of the printing paper by superposing the heat-treated area on the dye-receiving layer of the printing paper and heating from the support side of the ink ribbon. Accordingly, heat treatment can be performed without preparing a heat treatment tape or a heating device separately from the ink ribbon, and the operability of image formation is significantly improved.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an ink ribbon used in a sublimation thermal transfer recording method which can greatly enhance the operability of image formation, in which a heat-treated area is provided on the same plane as an ink layer of a support. An ink ribbon is provided.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail.

The sublimation thermal transfer recording method of the present invention is directed to an ink ribbon in which a dye receiving layer is formed on a substrate and the ink layer containing a sublimable dye is formed on a support. The sublimation dye in the ink layer of the ink ribbon is transferred to the dye receiving layer of the printing paper by heating the ink layer from the support side of the ink ribbon by a heating means such as a thermal head, thereby forming a dye image. The method is characterized in that the surface of the dye receiving layer of the printing paper is subjected to a heat treatment immediately before the dye receiving layer of the printing paper and the ink layer of the ink ribbon are overlapped, that is, immediately before the image formation.

In the present invention, the reason why the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper is heat-treated immediately before image formation is as follows.

The printing paper comes into contact with each other or with the mechanical parts of the transport system in the printer during the period from the start of paper feeding in the printer to the start of printing by a heating means (such as a thermal head). Such contact changes the surface properties of the printing paper, and may cause uneven printing and poor gradation. For this reason, the surface property is improved by heat-treating the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper. At this time, it is necessary to prevent the contact with the mechanical parts of the transport system in the printer after the surface property is improved. Therefore, it is necessary to heat-treat the surface of the dye receiving layer of the printing paper immediately before the dye receiving layer of the printing paper is overlapped with the ink layer of the ink ribbon, that is, immediately before image formation.

The heat treatment may be performed immediately before image formation so as to improve the surface properties of the dye receiving layer surface of the photographic paper. For example, the heat treatment may be performed using a ribbon dedicated to heat treatment or a dedicated heat press. As shown in FIG. 1, an ink ribbon 10 provided with a heat treatment region 3 on the same plane as the ink layer 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C) of the support 1 is used, and the heat treatment region 3 of the ink ribbon 10 is used. Is superimposed on the dye receiving layer of the printing paper, and the heat treatment of the dye receiving layer of the printing paper is preferably performed by heating from the support 1 side of the ink ribbon 10 with a thermal head or the like. Thereby, the heat treatment can be performed without preparing a heat treatment tape or a dedicated heat press device separately from the ink ribbon 10, and the operability of image formation is remarkably improved.

Here, the surface of the heat-treated region 3 may be any material surface that does not cause ripening of the photographic paper during the heat treatment.
The surface of the support 1 itself may be used. Further, the surface may be treated with a silicone resin or the like as necessary.

In the present invention, the heat treatment conditions (applied energy, attained temperature, heat treatment time, etc.) are experimentally determined according to the type of printer (transport system mechanism, thermal head, etc.) used and the type of photographic paper. Can be appropriately selected.

When performing heat treatment on the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper, the entire dye receiving layer may be heat-treated uniformly. However, heat treatment is performed so that thermal energy is applied in a pattern from a thermal head. Is also good. This makes it possible to control the dye concentration transferred from the ink layer of the ink ribbon between the heat-treated portion and the non-heat-treated portion of the dye-receiving layer or between heat-treated portions having different heat treatment conditions. This makes it possible to form watermark characters and the like.

In the sublimation thermal transfer recording method of the present invention, the configuration of the base material of the photographic paper, the dye receiving layer, the support of the ink ribbon, the ink layer, etc., are the same as those of the conventional sublimation thermal transfer recording method. can do.

The above-described ink ribbon 10 shown in FIG. 1 (that is, the ink ribbon 10 in which the heat treatment area 3 is provided on the same plane as the ink layer 2 of the support 1) is an image formed by the sublimation thermal transfer recording method. It is useful as an ink ribbon for use in a sublimation thermal transfer recording method that can significantly improve the operability of formation. In this case, a known laminate layer 4 for protecting the formed image may be formed on the support 1.

[0021]

The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to examples.

Example 1 (Preparation of photographic paper) Commercially available coated paper (basis weight =
About 160 g / m ² ), the coating liquid for forming a dye receiving layer shown in Table 1 was applied using a coil bar (No. 24),
It was dried in an oven at 2 ° C. for 2 minutes. Thus, photographic paper was obtained.

[0023]

[Table 1] Coating solution components for forming a dye receiving layer Weight (g) CAB551-0.2 (cellulose acetate phthalate: Eastman Chemical) 20 Methyl ethyl ketone 40 Toluene 40

(Preparation of Ink Ribbon) The yellow ink layer of a commercially available sublimation thermal transfer ink ribbon (UPC-8810 (manufactured by Sony Corporation)) having a yellow ink layer, a magenta ink layer and a cyan ink layer is removed with ethanol. , And that portion was used as a heat treatment region.

(Sublimation Thermal Transfer Recording Operation) Next, the photographic paper and the ink ribbon provided with the heat treatment area are set in a sublimation thermal transfer printer (UP-D8800, manufactured by Sony Corporation), and image information is transferred from a computer for image information transfer. The image was input to a printer to form an image. However, in order to perform the heat treatment in the heat treatment area, for the yellow image information, solid heating information is input, the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper is heat-treated with the solid, and immediately thereafter, the remaining magenta ink layer and the cyan An image was formed using the ink layer. In this embodiment, in order to evaluate unevenness of an image after printing, a gradation image in which magenta density is changed stepwise is formed.

Example 2 A commercially available ink ribbon for sublimation thermal transfer (UPC-8810)
(Manufactured by Sony Corporation)), an ink ribbon as shown in FIG. 1 in which a heat-treated area in which the support surface is exposed is provided on the yellow ink layer side and a known laminate layer for protecting the image is provided on the cyan ink side. Was prepared.

Using the obtained ink ribbon, an image was formed on the same printing paper as that used in Example 1. At this time, the dye receiving layer of the printing paper was solid-heated in the heat treatment area, and immediately thereafter, a full-color image was formed using the remaining yellow, magenta and cyan ink layers. A laminate layer for protecting the image was stuck on the surface of the obtained image.

Comparative Example 1 A magenta ink layer and a cyan ink layer were used in the same manner as in Example 1 except that no information was input for the yellow image information and the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper was not heat-treated. ,
A gradation image in which the magenta density was changed stepwise was formed.

Comparative Example 2 Solid heating information was input for yellow image information in the same manner as in Example 1, and the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper was heat-treated with a solid. The photographic paper was removed from the printer and set again on the printer.

Next, the magenta ink layer and the cyan ink layer were used in the same manner as in Example 1 except that no information was input for the yellow image information and the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper was not heat-treated. Then, a gradation image in which the magenta density was changed stepwise was formed.

(Evaluation) With respect to the images obtained in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the gradation of the image was evaluated. Is present (roughness) is evaluated as "x"), and the presence or absence of printing unevenness due to contact with the roller in the printer (the case where there is no printing unevenness is evaluated as "O", and the presence of Was evaluated as “x”). Table 2 shows the results.

[0032]

[Table 2]

From the results shown in Table 2, it can be seen that by performing the heat treatment immediately before image formation, an image having no printing unevenness and having a smooth gradation can be obtained.

[0034]

According to the sublimation thermal transfer recording method of the present invention,
It is possible to form a smooth gradation image without image unevenness depending on the type of printing paper and the type of printer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an example of an ink ribbon used in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 support, 2 ink layer, 3 heat treatment area, 4 laminate layer

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A dye receiving layer of a photographic paper having a dye receiving layer formed on a substrate, and an ink layer of an ink ribbon having an ink layer containing a sublimable dye formed on a support. In the sublimation thermal transfer recording method of forming a dye image by transferring the sublimable dye in the ink layer of the ink ribbon to the dye receiving layer of the printing paper by heating from the support side of the ink ribbon, the dye receiving layer of the printing paper A sublimation thermal transfer recording method, wherein heat treatment is performed on the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper immediately before superposing the ink layer on the ink ribbon. 2. The sublimation thermal transfer recording method according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the dye receiving layer of the printing paper is heat-treated by a thermal head. 3. The sublimation thermal transfer recording method according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment is performed by applying thermal energy in a pattern to the surface of the dye receiving layer of the photographic paper. 4. A printing paper, wherein a heat-treated area is provided on the same plane as the ink layer of the support of the ink ribbon, the heat-treated area is overlapped with the dye-receiving layer of the printing paper, and heated from the support side of the ink ribbon. The sublimation thermal transfer recording method according to claim 1, wherein the dye receiving layer is subjected to a heat treatment. 5. An ink ribbon used in the sublimation transfer recording method according to claim 4, wherein a heat-treated area or a heat-treated layer is provided on the same plane as the ink layer of the support. .